Height increasing devices for shoes



March 17, 1964 c. c. vAssAR HEIGHT INCREASING DEVICES FOR SHOES Filed Dec. 26. 1961 United States Patent 3,124,887 HETGHT ENCREASENG DEVECES FQR SHQES Charles (I. Vassar, S47 Simone St, Gshawa,

(hitario, anada Filed Dec. 26, 1961, Ser. No. l62,@34 3 Claims. (Cl. 36-81) The present invention relates to improvements in height increasing devices for shoes.

The main objects of the invention are to provide a height increasing device in the form of a laminated pad which can be adapted to any shoe without attaching means of any kind and without requiring any change in the original construction of the shoe; which will provide for the required build-up in stature; which can be readily inserted in and removed from the shoe and will not slip when in position in the shoe; which will provide comfortable support for the foot and which can be produced at such small cost as to make disposal thereof when soiled, and replacement thereof practical and economical.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel features of construction, arrangements and combinations of parts set out in the present specification and more particularly pointed out in the claims for novelty following.

In describing the invention reference will be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a shoe broken away and with my height increasing pad shown in longitudinal section.

FIGURE 2 is a top perspective View of my improved pad, with corners of the upper laminations turned up to clarify the construction.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the pad taken free of the shoe in its uncompressed state.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the various figures.

Referring to the drawings, 1 denotes a shoe of conventional construction such as might be worn by a person using my height increasing device, said shoe including the usual insole 2 and counter 3.

The height increasing member comprises an interiorly disposed elevating element 4 composed of felt or other like material shaped generally to fit the heel part of the shoe and at its front end terminating just in advance of said heel part.

The elevating element 4 has a substantially plane top surface 5 and is of greatest depth at its rear end, as shown at 6 in FIGURE 2, from which point the bottom surface tapers upwards, as shown at 7, to meet the top surface 5. To the top surface there is cemented a cushioning pad 8 preferably made of foam rubber or other like resilient material of considerable thickness and this cushioning pad extends forwardly slightly beyond the front end of the elevating element 4 and has its front marginal part 9 beyond the element 4 beveled, as shown in FIG- URE 2. The cushioning pad 8 preferably has a covering it) of thin fabric cemented thereto.

A sheet 11 of flexible material of a non-slip nature, preferably provided on its bottom surface with ribs 12, is cemented, or otherwise secured, over the bottom of the elevating element 4 and extends beyond the front end thereof in a portion 13 which is cemented to the tapered surface 9 of the cushioning pad 8.

In use this invention will be found to be most eflicient in maintaining its lift under weight due to the relatively firm nature of the material of which the elevating element "ice is made and, further, because of the shape of the said element which is of substantially even depth for a short portion of its length at the rear of the heel to receive the weight and then has its bottom surface tapered upwards to the front end so that the portion in advance of the heel of the wearer will be tilted upwardly into close engagement with the foot and so tend to provide a socket for the heel of the wearer and prevent forward movement of the foot in the shoe. The device, on account of its non-slip base, will not move forwardly within the shoe. An important advantage over existing height increasing devices which are built into the shoe resides in the ease with which the device can be applied to and removed from the shoe, making possible the substitution of a device of one thickness for one of a lesser, or greater, depth to meet requirements.

The foregoing is intended as illustrative and not as limitative since, within the scope of tne appended claims, details may be changed or modified without departing from the invention.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A height increasing device for loose insertion in the heel portion of a shoe, comprising a flexible elevating member formed of a resilient material, said member having a longitudinal dimension slightly longer than the heel portion of a shoe and lateral dimensions and curvature conforming in shape to the heel portion of a shoe, said member having a plane top surface, and said member having a bottom surface in two parts, the rear part being horizontal for a relatively short distance from its rear end and the forward part being inclined upwardly and forwardly into meeting engagement with said top surface, said bottom surface thus containing a lateral line separating the horizontal and inclined parts, whereby said member has a rear portion having a constant thickness longitudinally and a forward portion which is constantly decreasing in thickness longitudinally toward the front, said portions being defined at the bottom surface by said lateral line at the intersection of said horizontal and up wardly inclined bottom surface parts, said member when loosely inserted in a shoe and taking the weight of a wearer in a downward direction through his heel being rocked about said lateral line as a fulcrum to lower said rear portion and elevate said forward portion whereby to produce a reactive force upwardly on the forward part of the heel and medial part of the foot of the wearer.

2. A height increasing device according to claim 1 wherein said member is formed of compacted material, said member being covered with a resilient pad over the top surface, a fabric cover for said resilient pad, and a flexible nonslip base cemented to said bottom surface of the member, said base having its bottom ribbed for frictional engagement with the base of the shoe heel portion.

3. A height increasing device according to claim 2 wherein said resilient pad is cemented to and covers the top surface of said member and projects slightly forwardly beyond the front end of the member, and said nonslip base extending over the bottom surface of said member and the portion of said resilient pad which extends beyond the front end thereof and being cemented to both surfaces thereof.

Messina Aug. 27, 1940 Adler et al. Dec. 30, 1947 

1. A HEIGHT INCREASING DEVICE FOR LOOSE INSERTION IN THE HEEL PORTION OF A SHOE, COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE ELEVATING MEMBER FORMED OF A RESILIENT MATERIAL, SAID MEMBER HAVING A LONGITUDINAL DIMENSION SLIGHTLY LONGER THAN THE HEEL PORTION OF A SHOE AND LATERAL DIMENSIONS AND CURVATURE CONFORMING IN SHAPE TO THE HEEL PORTION OF A SHOE, SAID MEMBER HAVING A PLANE TOP SURFACE, AND SAID MEMBER HAVING A BOTTOM SURFACE IN TWO PARTS, THE REAR PART BEING HORIZONTAL FOR A RELATIVELY SHORT DISTANCE FROM ITS REAR END AND THE FORWARD PART BEING INCLINED UPWARDLY AND FORWARDLY INTO MEETING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID TOP SURFACE, SAID BOTTOM SURFACE THUS CONTAINING A LATERAL LINE SEPARATING THE HORIZONTAL AND INCLINED PARTS, WHEREBY SAID MEMBER HAS A REAR PORTION HAVING A CONSTANT THICKNESS LONGITUDINALLY AND A FORWARD PORTION WHICH IS CONSTANTLY DECREASING IN THICKNESS LONGITUDINALLY TOWARD THE FRONT, SAID PORTIONS BEING DEFINED AT THE BOTTOM SURFACE BY SAID LATERAL LINE AT THE INTERSECTION OF SAID HORIZONTAL AND UPWARDLY INCLINED BOTTOM SURFACE PARTS, SAID MEMBER WHEN LOOSELY INSERTED IN A SHOE AND TAKING THE WEIGHT OF A WEARER IN A DOWNWARD DIRECTION THROUGH HIS HEEL BEING ROCKED ABOUT SAID LATERAL LINE AS A FULCRUM TO LOWER SAID REAR PORTION AND ELEVATE SAID FORWARD PORTION WHEREBY TO PRODUCE A REACTIVE FORCE UPWARDLY ON THE FORWARD PART OF THE HEEL AND MEDIAL PART OF THE FOOT OF THE WEARER. 